No business like show business
by moonknight92
Summary: This is my first ever story. Its an alternate origins story for Nightcrawler and Iceman in which they're both members of the Munich circus. Enjoy...


**No Business Like Show Business**

Kurt sat against the bars of his cage, the cold metal dig into his bare back. His long, blue tail had unconsciously wrapped itself around one of the lengths of iron, the tip stroking the rough metal. He was used to them after all these years. In fact, he liked them. The irony of them amused him. The bars themselves could not hold him; he could escape them without even needing to think about it. It was the curtains that held him captive, restricting his view of the outside. His teleportation was limited to where he could see, and with the curtains drawn across the bars, he couldn't see anything beyond his own prison.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember the new routine he had planned. The last two weeks had been filled with rehearsals but tonight he had something different in mind, something special . His heart began to race, he wasn't excited this time, it was fear that coursed through his veins. The wheels beneath the cage began to turn, moving him into position in the center of the tent. It was the largest tent in the circus, a huge circular dome designed to hold an audience of over five hundred. All the seats were full. The show was about to start.

"Prepare to witness the most amazing spectacle in all of Munich!" The announcer boomed in his typical theatrical manner, wetting the appetites of the awaiting crowd. He was a short man, rather unremarkable but he was proud. He stood in a power stance; his chest thrust outwards, shoulders back, legs wide apart. To accentuate his dominance, he wore a pair of sabers, hanging on his belt in dark leather sheaths. His long satin coat had his name embroidered across the back. 'Hannibal'

"Witness the most horrifying creature every to walk this cursed earth" He continued. "Do not fear, for I have the monster completely under control. It will bend to my will and follow my every command".

Kurt hated this part, being announced as 'creature', 'monster' or 'devil'. He was the headline act, yet he was treated like scum. This wasn't a surprise given his appearance, fear was the reaction he usually invoked in others. But his act had made the circus the hit attraction it was now, he was the star. He was the foundation, the bedrock that the entire show was built upon. Without him, it would be nothing. He was the prince of the circus. Despite all that, he was a slave, a prisoner.

"Enough is enough" He said to himself under his breath, a hollow laughter coating his words as he fought back his tears. Crying wasn't part of the show. He was the devil in this performance and the devil sheds no tears. He needed to get ready. Unraveling his tail from the bar, he turned around to face out of the cage and stretched out his cramped muscles. There was barely enough space for him to extend his tail to its full length. He then moved silently to the center of the box and crouched low, allowing the tip of his tail to dance around his shoulders.

Hearing the continued abuse that his 'master' was filling the tent with, Kurt's sorrow turned to anger, anger towards his oppressive handlers. Anger towards the crowds of bigots who had come to star and scowl at him. A wicked grin spread across his face and his eyelids narrowed, enhancing his demonic appearance. The entire spectacle only encouraged him to do what he needed to do. He was ready to meet his adoring masses.

Hannibal had almost reached the climax of his long-winded introduction. "I present to you, the terrifying, the deadly, the incredible Nightcrawler!" As the words filled the tent, the curtains around Kurt's cage dropped, revealing his prone form to the hundreds that had gathered. Five hundred synchronized gasps filled the tent. No one even dared to breathe. A sea of faces, all contorted in masks of horror and disgust greeted him thought the bars. His grin grew even wider across his face. _Time to really show them something. _He thought to himself as he vanished in a cloud of black smoke…

He reappeared in front of his announcer, catching him by surprise and causing him to stumble backwards. Kurt reached out with lightening reflexes, grabbing the handles of the sabers and unsheathing them as his victim fell. Hannibal hit the floor, unable to take his eyes off of Kurt. This was not what they had rehearsed!

"What are you doing?" He roared in outrage. A smile slowly spread across Kurt's lips once again and he simply replied. "Retribution" and with that, he vanished again, leaving behind his signature black haze. By this point, the audience had realized that this was not part of the act. Screams of terror filled the tent as the hoard attempted to flee in panic. "Drake! Get in here now!"

From behind a curtain at the far end of the tent, a boy came running in. Bobby Drake was only sixteen years old but he was built like an athlete. Short, scruffy brown hair covered his head, a bandana was tied around his right bicep and his entire outfit hung loosely from his body. Seeing Hannibal's cowering form, he sprinted to the center off the room to protect him. His eyes darted around the tent, searching for the cause of the chaos.

"Up here, mein freund" The voice came from above them. Bobby looked up to see Kurt crouched on a support beam, still holding the twin sabers. "Tonight I shall destroy this sinful place, do not attempt to stop me" As the words left his lips, he whipped one of his sabers in front of him, cleanly severing one of the ropes that held the tent in place. Drake's hand shot upwards and a series of sharp spikes, formed entirely of ice, appeared and launched themselves towards the ceiling. By the time they had reached their target, Kurt had vanished once again.

"I said, do not attempt to stop me." This time the voice came from behind Bobby. He spun to face his opponent but instead found himself staring at thin air. "You don't have to do this. We can work this out" Bobby called out hopefully. His plea was answered swiftly. Kurt materialized before him and in one fluid motion, struck him across the face with the pommel of his saber. The impact caused Bobby to fall off balance and land in a heap on the floor. Quick to recover, he turned to face his adversary and shot forth his hand, sending a stream of freezing vapor at Kurt's ankles. His aim was true, forming a block of ice around his target's feet. "Nein!" He cried in protest as he tried to free his trapped limbs.

Bobby rose to his feet and began to slowly approach his prisoner. Kurt lashed out with his closest arm, the saber missing him by a fraction of an inch. Bobby froze in place, the realization of what had just transpired hit him harder than Kurt's sword. Kurt, his friend who he had lived and worked with for the last two years, had just tried to kill him. They had both been runaways, driven from their homes by the fear of persecution. Both found their way to this circus. "Come on Kurt, we're friends! Just drop the swords and we can forget this ever happened. Please? I'm begging you!"

A long silence stretched out. Neither said a word as the seconds went by. Then something gave in Kurt, his shoulders sagged, then gradually his arms fell to his sides. "I can't…" his head fell to his chest, his eyes closed. "I can't stay here" His head shot up, his eyes locked with Bobby's. It was only then that Bobby realized Kurt was crying. "Neither of us can. It will be the end of us" he added with a look of desperation and defeat.

"What do you mean?" Bobby replied, confused and very much afraid. He had never seen Kurt like this, so broken, so deflated. "It's them!" Kurt hissed, jabbing a saber towards the doorway through which Bobby had entered. Before he could say another word, Kurt began to jerk. Every muscle in his body tightened, then fell limp. He collapsed in a heap on the ground. The whole ordeal had lasted only a split-second. Standing behind Kurt's now unconscious body was Hannibal, holding a small stun-rod in his right hand, a device he used to crudely train the animals they used in their shows. "What did you do that for?" Bobby yelled defiantly. Hannibal seemed not to notice. "Dukes!" He called out abruptly towards the doorway. Moments later a monstrous figure emerged. "Take this abomination back to his cell. It appears we have some re-educating to do."


End file.
